Kettlebell of the Ball

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It wasn't exactly a whim when I signed up for a beginner's kettlebell class. I read about kettlebells in the most recent issue of Oxygen magazine, and was intrigued. Naturally, I had to read all about it and in the course of my "research" discovered this class. Perfect start time (three days after I learned about the course), perfect time of day (after school with plenty of time to eat a snack and get there), easy to get to, and perfect days of the week. With that much going for me, I pretty much had to sign up for it!

I've got four classes under my belt, and the verdict so far: holy frickin smokes -this workout is kicking my tush! I don't think I have ever had such a vigorous cardio workout before in my life. And there is minimal impact on my knees, just the occasional round of jumping jacks. We are doing circuits with the kettlebells, ropes, TRX, and body weight to create a 45 minute workout that provides both cardio and strength training. It was taking me nearly twice as long to do cardio and lift weights at the gym! It has given me a huge motivation shot as far as exercising goes. I've been slacking a bit since the holidays and its been hard getting back into an exercising groove. I've not experienced any increase in Fibro symptoms since I've started. In fact, I am sleeping a bit better at night. Not going to complain about that! Learning how to move safely is keeping my brain focused, so for at least 45 minutes a day I am fog-free. And I can definitely tell that it has revved up my metabolism!

As long as I don't get injured, I foresee no problem finishing the six-week course. If I continue on past the course has yet to be decided.

Don't know anything about kettlebells? Read about them here. There are many books and videos available, but I would highly recommend you learn proper form from a real person before striking out on your own.

Have you tried anything new recently with your exercise routine?

Fearless

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This week's yoga class was about being fearless. In particular, about being fearless when doing a handstand. Please note, I have never done a handstand before in my life. Talk about fear!

I'm not sure which fear was greater. The fear of:

1. Being upside down
2. My clothes staying in place while I was upside down
3. The pain of stressing my neck and shoulders
4. Speaking up about my concern of stressing my neck and shoulders
5.  My arms potentially not being strong enough to support me
6. Having to depend on a relative stranger to support me while I was trying to be upside down

I made it into a handstand on my second attempt. I was terrified, but I did it anyway. My clothes cooperated, my arms did not give out, and my partner was steady and reliable -I certainly couldn't have done it without her!

I did not say anything about my concerns. Mostly, I was too chicken to speak up. But part of me just wanted to see how far I could push myself. I did not want to give pain the power to dictate what I could and could not do. So I kept my mouth shut, did the handstand, then went home and put on a heating pad. I may regret the decision in the morning, but somehow I think not.

And speaking of fearlessness, have you purchased your copy of Daring Greatly yet?

In the Fitness Protection Program

Last time we talked I left you agog with the knowledge that I find exercise a crucial weapon in my battle against Fibromyalgia. Fitness is my weapon of choice.

Have you recovered yet?

Well, my exercise regime continues on!

Right now, my workouts consist of:
   Yoga: once a week
   Cardio:  4-6 times a week
   Strength training: 4-6 times a week

There are four days that I workout both before and after school. If I am really busy and need to spend extra time in my classroom, then I can generally skip the second workout without crashing at 5:00. If I am dragging and tired at the end of the school day, I make the time to go to the gym for an easy cardio session. I find using the recumbent bike a good option for those times -I can get my heart rate up in a fairly mindless and low-impact way.

I am also trying to implement Clean Eating as a way to keep myself energized (as much as possible) throughout the day. So far, it seems to be agreeing with me. It takes a lot of planning, but I am managing to slim down and build muscle. It is easy to build menus to avoid all the dietary upsets we tend to experience. (For me, I need to avoid tree nuts and dairy.)  If you are interested, look for books by Tosca Reno at your library.  You can also check out her website for more information.

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Yet another Exercise is Good for Treating Fibromyalgia post

It has been forever since I last posted. I finally realized it was mostly because what I have to say now is really, really difficult for me. Of course rather than just write it down, I procrastinated. But I think I am ready to get this off my chest:

At this time, exercise is helping me manage my Fibromyalgia pain with minimal medication.

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I very clearly remember my first meeting with a specialist when trying to figure what was wrong with me. After asking lots of questions, poking me (painfully) in several places, he delivered the verdict: "Well, I just think you just need to exercise more." I wanted to punch his condescending face!

It was that condescending attitude that makes me reluctant to shout from the rooftops, "EXERCISE MAKES ME FEEL BETTER!"  When you are in pain from head to toe, constantly fatigued, and mentally scattered, the last thing you want or need to hear is that you "just need to exercise more."

But I gave exercise one more try. I was able to do some over the summer and it felt good then, and I was willing to do almost anything rather than add anti-depressants to my care regime. Much to my surprise, it worked. My coworkers noticed the difference immediately. I no longer walked like I was 90, and I felt calm and focused. Exercising in the morning before work helped me get through the day, but I was still crashing when I got home. Many nights saw me in bed before 6:00.

I started working with a trainer during the summer, but with the beginning of school I had to find a different time to work with her. The only time that worked for both of us was mid-week, after school. I had made a deal with DH (Dear Husband) that he would take Turtle to school 4 mornings a week so I could hit the gym before work. I did not want to give up my workout before school (and ruin the deal with DH), so I decided that on Wednesdays I would be working out twice. I was prepared to be completely wiped out by the time I was done. But another surprise was in store for me: instead of being ready to crawl into bed the minute I returned home from this second workout, I found that I could stay awake until Turtle's bedtime! It was becoming pretty clear that instead of sapping my energy, exercise was actually giving me energy!

Four weeks after my doctor urged me to consider taking an anti-depressant, I was back in the office, a new woman. She was thrilled with the changes and we decided that at least at this time, I did not need to add any medication. I tweaked my schedule so that I could fit in a second workout most weeknights to help me stay awake and pleasant in the evenings.

If you suffer chronic pain, trust me -I know, I get it! Doing something that can cause more pain is the last thing you want to consider, let alone do. Exercising is making a huge difference in my life, and I feel compelled to share my experience in case it could help someone else.

But it still galls me to admit that someone else was right about exercise. (Stupid, smug, condescending-but-cute doctor.)

To be continued......

Uncomfortable in my own skin

Todd  Goldman

Things have been going well on the Fibro Front. Not only am I still standing, but I'm still nailing those workouts at least 5 times a week! As long as I really protect my neck I can do some strength training as well as cardio work. I found out from experience that over-using my neck and shoulders cause a flare up. Ooops. My darling trainer has adapted some Pilates moves for me so I can work my abs without straining my neck. I also love doing a bit of Yoga with weights -it feels really good to combine the two!

Although the pain is pretty much under control for now, I'm bothered by a few other symptoms. Namely, blurry vision, sound sensitivity, and skin sensitivity. The blurry vision makes reading frustrating. But at least if I am reading on my Nook I can adjust the font size to help me see more clearly. The sound sensitivity is a little more difficult to tackle. It has been so hot and humid that the source of most of the noise has not been playing outside as much this week. It is to cool off next week, so that should give me ears a welcomed break.  The worst is the skin sensitivity -I hate it! At least I can be at home, where I can say "Don't touch me! Use a whisper when you talk!" and have everyone respect my wishes. This is much harder to pull off in the classroom.

I wish I knew what was aggravating these symptoms. My guess is food. With the holiday, I've eaten more processed meat (mmmmm, sausages -bratwurst!) and potato chips than I normally do. I know it has affected how much water I retain! Perhaps there has been too much dairy consumed as well (darn you, DH and your current obsession with making Orange Julius! Oh, and the pizza! Processed meat AND cheese!!) I'll clean up my food act and see what happens.

Until next time, stay joyful!

What moves you?

DH came home early enough yesterday for me to get a good workout in at the gym. It has been so hot and muggy, I had to  force myself get moving. I so did not want to. My legs started protesting as soon as I started on my favorite AMT. Ignoring my whiny thighs, I pressed on. But I just wasn't getting into it, and the rush of "OMG I'm moving and it feels GREAT" just wasn't happening.

Like many, I listen to my own music while working out. I love being able to skip past songs that aren't right for the moment. And yesterday, I was skipping a lot of songs. I was just about to cut my workout short, when Sting's Send Your Love (Dave Aude remix) started. It was the hit of energy I needed. I felt like I could fly! I easily made it to the end of the workout, and into the "feels GREAT" zone.

So now I know that right music is important for me to get a good workout. The music that makes me want to jump up and dance is the same music that makes me want to push myself during a workout. As a reward for reaching my next weight loss goal I'm going to treat myself to some new workout music. You can help out by telling me which tunes get you up and moving!

Songs that make me forget I'm working out:

• Send Your Love (Dave Aude remix) by Sting
• Voodoo Child by Rogue Traders
• Too Much Information (Ben Chapman 12"mix) by Duran Duran
• Move Any Mountain by The Shamen
• Din Daa Daa by George Kranz

Keith  Haring

The first three months of fibromyalgia

Variety of Body...



It has been three months now since I received the diagnosis, and the good news is that things still seem to be tickety-boo symptom wise. At my first monthly check in with my doctor, I had half the number of trigger points than I did from my previous appointment! Personally, I think cutting dairy out of my diet had a lot to do with the decrease in pain, as did a different dosage of muscle relaxants.

The results of my sleep study showed I have mild sleep apnea. Phooey. I so do not want to wear a mask in order to get a good night's sleep! Because I was so reluctant to get fitted for a mask, my doctor offered me the option of trying to lose some weight before my next appointment. If I can get my weight down enough, I may be able to avoid the dreaded CPAP! This means that my next battle to face is exercise.

Trying to lose weight while you are dealing with chronic pain is NO FUN. Not to mention REALLY HARD. Walking at a pace fast enough to get my heart rate into the weight losing range caused some minor flare ups. Even walking at my own pace wasn't working. Impulsively, I decided to get in touch with the trainer I had used before Turtle was born.  I've had one session with her so far, and I think I'm finally on a track that will work for me. For cardio, I'm trying one session of aqua aerobics a week. For other cardio workouts I am using an elliptical trainer and recumbant bikes as they can get me moving without any impact on my joints. I'm continuing with my daily morning stretches, and I want to add some yoga at least once a week, if not more frequently. I certainly haven't been pain-free with this increase in activity, but I have managed to avoid flare-ups. I even managed to take Turtle to an open swim session -she was thrilled that I got in the water with her! It was so nice to do a bit of exercise without slapping her into a child care room, or hauling her across town for my mom to babysit her.

It is really weird, but I'm actually beginning to look forward to my work outs at the gym. I am liking pushing my body hard enough to work up a sweat, and still having energy to do other things afterwards. Maybe it is the mega-dose of Vitamin D I am taking. Or maybe I'm just growing up a bit.